Advocacy & Issues

United Chambers Press Release 03/28/2017

UNITED CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 28, 2017 ~ Sherman Oaks, CA. The United Chambers of Commerce has taken the official position(s) on the following critical issues facing the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County and all of California.

The United Chambers of Commerce has taken the following positions. These positions reflect only those of United Chambers and do not necessarily reflect the positions of any of our individual Chamber Members:

AB 1506 ~ OPPOSED

The Assembly Housing Committee is the same committee considering AB 1506, a repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

The Costa – Hawkins Rental Housing Act puts statewide limits on rent control, prohibits price controls on new construction and protects the ability of housing providers to raise the rent to market rate for new residents when former tenants move out. Prior to this law, some cities operated under strict rent control laws and providers could not raise the rents when someone moved out. This ultimately led to housing providers facing insolvency.

“Sanctuary Bill” bill that would restrict local law enforcement and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

As stated in the Legislative Counsel’s Digest:

“Existing law provides that when there is reason to believe that a person arrested for a violation of specified controlled substance provisions may not be a citizen of the United States, the arresting agency shall notify the appropriate agency of the United States having charge of deportation matters.

“This bill would repeal those provisions.

“This bill would, among other things [and with certain exceptions], prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes, as specified. The bill would require, within 3 months after the effective date of the bill, the Attorney General, in consultation with the appropriate stakeholders, to publish model policies limiting assistance with immigration enforcement to the fullest extent possible for use by those entities for those purposes.

“The bill would require all public schools, health facilities operated by the state or a political subdivision of the state and courthouses to implement the model policy, or an equivalent policy. The bill would state that all other organizations and entities that provide services related to physical or mental health and wellness, education, or access to justice, including the University of California, are encouraged to adopt the model policy.

United Chambers is concerned about local business health. In this regard, the organization is concerned, among other things, that the federal government intends to cut off discretionary aid to jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with federal authorities. This intention puts at risk infrastructure and other projects which rely on federal funding and upon which local business directly or indirectly relies.

We invite your comments and questions. Please direct your inquiries to the Executive Director of United Chambers of Commerce: marian@unitedchambers.org